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Lodges & partnersZanzibar East Coast

AHG Sun Bay Mlilile Beach Hotel

Fifty four rooms on the sand at Mlilile, with Mnemba a boat ride off the reef

Tier
Comfort
fifty four rooms in two blocks
Location
Zanzibar East Coast
Reviews
4.3 ★ on TripAdvisor
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About

About AHG Sun Bay Mlilile Beach Hotel.

Sun Bay sits at Mlilile, the stretch of sand immediately south of Matemwe village on the north east shoulder of Unguja. It is a hotel of two halves: twenty four rooms in the original low blocks set back in the coconut garden, and a thirty room beachfront block that opened in December 2025 and put the newest rooms within a few steps of the water. Two pools, two restaurants and a small massage corner, and the sand runs straight out of the gate.

This is reef coast, so the water behaves differently from the west of the island. At the top of the tide it is shallow, warm and very clear. At the bottom it walks a long way out and the swimming moves to the pools. Mnemba lies about six kilometres offshore and the boats leave from the beach in front of the hotel, which is the main reason people choose this side. January and February are hot and bright, June to October is dry and breezy, and the long rains of April and May bring the quietest weeks and the lowest rates.

Rooms run from garden Classic rooms through the sea side and sea view categories to the beachfront rooms and a Junior Suite in the new block. Every room has air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net and a safe. The buffet restaurant handles breakfast and dinner, a second restaurant cooks to order, and there is an excursion desk, a boutique and a terrace lounge. There is no gym and no club for children.

It suits a straightforward beach week at a modest price, especially after a safari, and it suits people who will spend a day on the water. It is not a private stretch of beach: vendors walk the sand and the hotel is one of several along it. Guests who like variety at dinner sometimes find the menu repeats on a long stay, the older garden block shows its age next to the new one, and the wifi comes and goes. If those things matter more than the price, the quieter hotels further north are a better fit.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. Mnemba by boat

    The atoll lies about six kilometres off this stretch of reef and the boats leave from the sand in front of the hotel. Snorkelling over the coral typically turns up reef fish and sometimes turtles, and dolphins are often seen on the crossing.

  2. The walk out at low tide

    At low water the sea pulls back several hundred metres and the flats fill with starfish, urchins and the seaweed lines worked by the village. An hour out there is the most local thing you can do without leaving the beach.

  3. Matemwe village

    Fifteen minutes north on foot, a working fishing village where the dhows come in during the morning. Quiet, unposed and worth the walk.

  4. The IKI massage corner

    A short treatment list in a quiet corner of the garden, booked at reception and settled with the hotel.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Up to 2 guests

Classic Room

Garden room in the original low blocks, one double bed, terrace or balcony, two guests.

Up to 2 guests

Sea Side View Room

Angled towards the water with a partial sea view, one double bed, terrace or balcony, two guests.

Up to 2 guests

Sea View Room

Facing the water towards Mnemba, one double bed, terrace or balcony, two guests.

Up to 2 guests

Beach Front Room

In the block that opened in December 2025, a few steps from the sand, one double bed, two guests.

Up to 2 guests

Junior Suite Beach Front

The largest category, beachfront, with a separate sitting area, one double bed, two guests.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Two Swimming Pools
  • Direct Access To The Beach
  • Buffet Restaurant
  • A La Carte Restaurant
  • Terrace Lounge
  • IKI Massage Corner
  • Free WiFi Throughout
  • Air conditioning and a ceiling fan in every room
  • Safe In Every Room
  • Mosquito Nets
  • Flat Screen Television
  • Laundry Service
  • Excursion Desk
  • 24 Hour Reception
  • Souvenir Boutique

Best for

  • Beach
  • Rest After A Safari
  • Snorkelling
  • Couples
  • Value

Wildlife and nature

  • Reef fish, coral and sometimes turtles at Mnemba, a boat ride offshore
  • Dolphins often seen on the crossing to the atoll
  • Starfish and sea urchins on the flats at low tide

Best time to visit

When to go.

  • January: best
  • February: best
  • March: not a best month
  • April: not a best month
  • May: not a best month
  • June: best
  • July: best
  • August: best
  • September: best
  • October: best
  • November: not a best month
  • December: best
Best months

Best months: June to October and December to February.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Zanzibar East Coast

Arriving by air

Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar in about 1 hour 20 minutes, then about 1 hour 15 minutes by road. Zanzibar is the only airport on the island, so every arrival finishes by road.

By road

There is no road journey worth making from Kilimanjaro. Fly Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, about 1 hour 20 minutes with several departures a day, then about 1 hour 15 minutes by road to Mlilile, roughly 55 kilometres.

On the map

Where it sits.

5.865° S, 39.354° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Accommodation in the room category booked
  • Breakfast Every Morning
  • Dinner every evening in the hotel restaurant
  • Use of the two swimming pools and the sun terraces
  • Sun loungers, umbrellas and towels at the pools and on the beach
  • WiFi Throughout The Property
  • Air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net and a safe in the room
  • All Applicable Government Taxes

Not included

  • Local infrastructure tax of 5 USD per person per night, collected at the hotel
  • Lunch, and anything not named in the half board plan, charged at the hotel
  • Compulsory Christmas Eve dinner of 88 USD per person on 24 December 2026
  • Compulsory New Year Eve dinner of 117.33 USD per person on 31 December 2026
  • Treatments at the IKI massage corner
  • Snorkelling and diving trips to Mnemba, boat trips and other excursions booked on site
  • Airport Transfers
  • Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult, compulsory since 1 October 2026
  • Tips And Gratuities
  • Items Of A Personal Nature

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Where exactly is the hotel and how do I get there?

At Mlilile, just south of Matemwe village on the north east coast of Unguja. From Zanzibar airport it is roughly 55 kilometres and about an hour and a quarter by road, the last part on a lane through the village.

How many rooms does it have?

Fifty four: twenty four in the original garden blocks and thirty in the beachfront block that opened in December 2025. The hotel own rooms page still shows the older figure of twenty four.

Can I swim in the sea?

Around the higher half of the tide, yes. This is reef coast and the water pulls back several hundred metres at low tide, so the two pools cover the rest of the day. Tide tables are at reception.

What is included in the rate?

Half board: the room, breakfast every morning, dinner every evening, the pools and sun loungers, wifi, and the taxes that sit in the rate. Lunch and anything else is charged at the hotel.

What will I pay at the hotel?

A local infrastructure tax of 5 US dollars per person per night, and anything you order outside the half board plan. The compulsory Christmas Eve dinner on 24 December 2026 (88 US dollars per person) and New Year Eve dinner on 31 December 2026 (117.33 US dollars per person) are itemised in your trip price rather than paid at the hotel.

Are children welcome?

The hotel takes children, but our system can only price the two guest occupancies this contract sets out, so a third guest cannot be booked here yet. We have asked the hotel to confirm what a child pays and these rooms open to families as soon as we can price them exactly.

What is the minimum stay?

Three nights, and seven nights between 23 December and 6 January.

What is there to do?

Boat trips to Mnemba for snorkelling, a walk out on the flats at low tide, the fishing village and seaweed lines at Matemwe, a treatment at the massage corner, or nothing at all.

Is there wifi and is the power reliable?

Wifi is free throughout and fine for messages, less so for video, and guests report it dropping. The island has occasional power cuts and the hotel runs a generator.

When is the best time to come?

June to October is dry, breezy and busy. January and February are hot and clear. April and May are the long rains, the quietest weeks of the year and the cheapest.

Is there anything I should know before booking?

It is a modest hotel at a modest price rather than a resort. The older garden block shows wear next to the new beachfront rooms, the dinner menu repeats on a long stay, and the beach is shared with other hotels and with vendors.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes. Tanzania has required inbound travel insurance since 1 October 2026, 44 US dollars per adult, and it is not in the rate.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • Mnemba Atoll

    A protected reef about six kilometres offshore, known for its snorkelling and diving. Boats leave from the beach in front of the hotel.

  • Matemwe village

    A working fishing village fifteen minutes north on foot, busiest in the morning when the dhows come in.

  • Jozani forest

    About an hour and twenty minutes by road, the last home of the Zanzibar red colobus.

  • Stone Town

    About an hour and a quarter by road, the old quarter with its carved doors, market and waterfront.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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